


766 Days Before

by TooNerdyToHandle



Series: Apocalypse!Verse [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Discussion of Bullying, Gen, Prequel, chris and phil are jim's dads thanks have a nice day, dad!Phil, dad!chris, teaser for bigger fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-07 23:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13445901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooNerdyToHandle/pseuds/TooNerdyToHandle
Summary: 766 days before the world turns upside down, Jim gets into a fight at school. Phil is the one deemed worthy to handle it.Prequel/Teaser thing for my apocalypse fic that'll be out in a couple of months. In which Chris and Phil are raising Jim Kirk, because I said so, that's why





	766 Days Before

It's a Wednesday in the middle of September, just after lunch, and Phil is getting ready to take a nap on the couch because he deserves one damn it. It's his first full day off in a couple of weeks, and he intends to enjoy it the best he can without having Jim or Chris to spend it with. So yeah, that means taking a nap for the first time in forever. 

He’s just gotten comfortable on the couch when his phone rings. 

Phil sighs in exasperation, tempted just to ignore it. But caller ID says it's Chris, which is weird because Chris should be forty-five minutes into a lecture right now. So Phil puts his nap on hold and answers the phone. 

“Aren't you supposed to teaching the great scientific minds of the future right now, Chrissy?” Phil asks as a way of greeting.

“Yes, yes I am,” Chris responds. Phil can tell right away that Chris is  _ pissed _ . 

“....What?” Phil asks a little hesitant, almost afraid to know. 

“Jim’s school just called. He got into a fight.” 

“He what?!”

“He broke the other kid’s nose, Phil. They said the only reason he’s not in more trouble is because this is the first time he’s ever gotten into trouble like this. But he’s suspended for a week, and they want him off campus as soon as possible. I can't leave in the middle of a lecture.” Phil drags a hand down his face. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I'll go get him. What do you want me to do?” Phil asks, because this is usually Chri’s realm. 

“Whatever you want, short of beating some sense into him. What the hell was he  _ thinking _ , Phil?”

“I'll find out,” Phil promises, standing from the couch. “Chris?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Try not to take this out on your students,” Phil knows there’s no use in that, because Chris is pissed and will be snappy to anyone and everyone the rest of the day. Chris offers something between a scoff and a grunt of acknowledgment. They exchange their usual goodbyes while Phil pulls on his shoes and heads out to the car. 

 

The fifteen-minute ride to the school is plenty of time for Phil to stew. Half his brain keeps reminding him that Jim is just a kid, but the other half reminds him that Jim is a kid who  _ knows better than to break another kid’s nose _ . But then again, none of this really makes sense because Jim has never done anything like this before. Phil just settles on the school being right, because a kid with a broken nose is pretty compelling evidence. Jim has a bit of a temper, so maybe he just lost it. Someone just pushed the right buttons. Phil’s still debating causes when he pulls into the school and is led to the principal’s office to retrieve Jim. 

Jim is waiting for him. He’s sitting with his backpack next to him, holding an ice pack on his left hand. He looks up when the door opens, face immediately falling to what Phil can only describe as  _ oh shit _ . 

“I presume Dr. Pike explained the situation to you?” Jim’s principal asks. Phil nods. 

“He did. What about the other kid?” Phil asks. 

“Calvin is with his mother in the emergency room getting his nose seen to,” Phil tries to give a pointed look to Jim, but Jim is refusing to look at him. “He’ll be fine. Mr. Kirk here was the only one to get any hits in. He can come back to school next Wednesday at lunch. If anything like this happens again, though…” 

“Understood,” Phil turns his attention to Jim again, using his best hardass voice. “Let’s go.” Jim scrambles to stand. 

“Um,” Jim begins. He pulls the ice pack off his hand and holds it out toward his principal. “Here.” His principal nods and takes it. Phil makes a mental note to look at Jim’s knuckles later. Jim picks up his backpack with his uninjured hand and slings it over his shoulder. Phil gives him an expectant look. Jim turns back toward his principal, looking at his shoes. “Sorry, Mr. Jacobs.” Jim’s principal nods. 

“Better never happen again,” Mr. Jacobs warns. Jim nods hurriedly and follows Phil from the room without once lifting his gaze from his shoes. 

 

The car ride is silent for half the ride home. Jim stares straight ahead, leg bouncing and giving away his anxiety. Phil finally breaks the silence, his tone the perfect mix of hardass and disappointed father. 

“I’m waiting for you to give me a reason as to why this happened, because I sure as hell know Chris and I taught you better,” he tells Jim, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. He’s not all that sure if he’s pissed or disappointed, but then again maybe it’s both. Jim doesn’t avert his eyes from his gaze out the windshield. 

“I just lost my temper,” he mumbles. “Just a stupid argument over nothing.” 

“Yeah? What was the argument about?” Phil prods, something in his gut telling him to do so. 

“A video game. Just a dumb game,” Jim’s still mumbling, but he’s fidgeting now. Phil’s known him long enough to tell that’s a lie. 

“Really? You broke a kid’s nose over a video game? Doesn’t sound like the boy I’ve been helping raise for the last six years.” 

“That’s what happened,” Jim insists. 

“Did they say something about Chris and I?” 

“What? No, he didn’t say anything about you guys.” 

“Positive?”

“I just lost my temper, Phil, that’s all that happened and I’m sorry,” Jim says just a little desperately. 

“No, it’s not what happened. You’re lying to me, Jim, and I can’t say I appreciate it. What happened?”

“Phil-” 

“Jim, I can do this all day.” Jim sighs, turning his gaze out the window instead. “Well?” 

“He was making fun of Hikaru,” Jim admits quietly. “He does all the time, Hikaru tells me. But Hikaru wasn't even there to defend himself. I mean, not that he would anyway but…” Jim trails off. “I just got tired of it. So I confronted him about it.” 

“Did you tell Mr. Jacobs this?” Phil asks, glancing at Jim again. Jim scoffs. 

“No. It wouldn't matter.” 

“What do you mean it wouldn't matter?” 

“Calvin Jacobs, Phil. Jacobs. He’s Mr. Jacobs’ kid.” 

“So?”

“So he never gets in trouble for anything! His dad sweeps it all away for him. He does what he wants.”

“Is that a second reason you broke his nose?” 

“.... Maybe a little.” Phil sighs, thinking about exactly what to do here. 

“Why does he pick on Hikaru?” Phil barely catches Jim’s shrug.

“Because he’s younger. Because he’s smart. Because he’s quiet. Because he’s small. You name it, they pick on him for it. I stand up for him when I hear it, but Calvin doesn’t care.” 

“So you just got tired of it and broke his nose?” 

“He… Called Hikaru something really, really awful.” 

“What was it?” Phil asks, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter because he has a feeling he knows the answer. 

“I really, really don’t want to repeat it. It… had to do with him being Asian,” Jim tells him, obviously uncomfortable. 

“I get the picture. Jim?” 

“Yeah?”

“You’re not in trouble. Not as much, anyway. I’ll tell your dad before he gets home. You still broke a kid’s nose, but… You were defending your friend. Can’t punish you for that.” Jim relaxes in the passenger seat. 

“I’ll be having a… Conversation with Mr. Jacobs,” Phil says, a protective anger settling his stomach, just as much about Jim as it is Hikaru. 

“No!” Jim blurts. “No, Phil, please, just let it go,” he begs. “It’ll just get worse.”

“It won’t if I have a say in it. You can’t just let this slide, Jim.” 

“I didn’t! I broke his nose!” 

“Not what I mean. If he gets away with this, how many more kids is he going to pick on, huh? How many of those kids aren’t going to have Jim Kirk’s to stand up for them? If no one holds him accountable now, what kind of person is he going to grow into, Jim?” Jim doesn’t respond. “If it gets worse first, I promise you I will handle it, okay? I  _ promise _ . But we are not just letting this go, not anymore.” 

“What about Hikaru?” Jim asks quietly. “He doesn’t know they do this shit behind his back, too.” 

“First of all; language. Second of all; he has you. It’ll probably make him feel like shit, you’re right, but you’ll be there for him. And so will I, and Chris, and his parents. If this stops, then he won’t have to feel that ever again will he?”

“I guess not,” Jim says quietly as they pull up to the house and Phil turns off the car. 

“C’mon. Let’s get inside, I wanna take a look at your hand.” Jim nods. “And then, I’m going to teach you how to punch without hurting your hand.”  _ That  _ makes Jim’s head swivel around to him. “Yeah, seriously, and yes, I know how. But! You have to  _ promise  _ me you won’t do it unless  _ absolutely necessary _ . Agreed?” Jim nods eagerly. 

“Agreed. I promise.” Phil nods. 

“Alright then.” 

 

Chris is understanding of the situation when he gets home. He redirects his anger on the school for  _ letting  _ this happen, which is fine with Phil. He agrees with Phil that Jim breaking a kid’s nose was maybe a  _ tad  _ too far, so Jim doesn’t get to play video games until the weekend and has to go with Chris if Phil isn’t off. The second part isn’t really a punishment, Jim loves going to class with Chris, but it’s easier to keep an eye on the whole no games thing that way. 

Phil keeps up his promise on how to teach Jim how to punch, making Jim swear on their original promise a few more times to really drive the point home. The Sulu’s come over for dinner, and Jim tells Hikaru what happened. He’s a little upset, as Jim said he would be, but he still thanks Jim for standing up for him. He even seems to approve of Phil’s plan to take care of things. His parents, of course, approve completely and promise to help any way they can. 

That night, when Jim is just about to go to bed, he comes into Chris and Phil’s room. Chris looks up from the pile of papers he’s grading and smiles. 

“Hey, pal,” he says. “Heading to bed?” Jim nods. Completely opposite to what he usually does, Jim comes to Phil’s side of the bed first. He clamors up onto the little bit of space left on the side of the bed and hugs Phil. 

“Thank you,” he mumbles. “For today.” Phil wraps his arms around Jim and gives him a little squeeze. 

“Of course,” Phil tells him. “I’m off again on Friday, we’ll keep working on things then, alright?” 

“Alright,” Jim agrees before pulling away. He gives Phil a small smile. “Love you,” he says as he climbs off the bed. 

“Love you too, Jim.” 

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a short teaser for a much larger fic that I'll be putting out in March. Gotta get people excited, yanno? Hope you all liked it! 
> 
> And yes, readers of my other fics, my WIP's are currently on pause until I finish this monster of an apocalypse fic. 
> 
> Much love!


End file.
